1979-1993 & 94 Conv [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
Speaking as someone who works in a mail (and internet) order company, I can empathize with what Saabstuff MAY be going through:
-- not having inventory on the shelf is as frustrating for us as it is for our customers (if a customer needs something tomorrow, we've just lost an order, and the income from it!)
-- unreliable or unpredictable suppliers do not help matters (A lot of out inventory is so specialized that production runs are made only once or twice a year in some cases. Much of it comes from Europe. This is a nightmare! We need the stuff on the shelf, so we order from the manufacturer. They tell us they expect to ship in two weeks. We estimate that it should arrive in four. They don't ship for six. It's stuck in customs for two. When we finally get it, THE PACKING SLIPS DO NOT MATCH THE MERCHANDISE SENT TO US. This happens, a lot.
-- the beancounters want the warehouse empty!! I am not an accountant, so I cannot agree with their logic when they tell me that an empty warehouse chasing customers away makes more money than a well-stocked warehouse shipping items out left and right.
What I believe they could have handled better: The only time payment should be taken from a customer before an item is ready to ship is if the item is a custom or special-order item. "I have to pay my suppliers" is a sign of someone operating out of his basement. An established company has a line of credit with some suppliers, or at least with their bank to pay for the inventory.
For everyone who orders by phone, mail, or 'net: If a vendor does not have an item in stock, please understand that the only way they can accurately predict exactly when the item will be in stock is if they are psychic. Not knowing (or having a vendor miss their promised ship date) is NOT giving you the run-around. We are human, and yes, we want your business. Taking an order and not being able to ship it does not make us any money. We want to ship just as bad as you want to receive. We are not putting you off just for kicks, or because we don't like your face. My paycheck is very often riding on whether or not we can ship your order this week.
(Thanks for letting me throw in my two cents. I've worked in retail for many years and I keep seeing salespeople portrayed as the scum of the earth. I may be, but that's a personal trait, not professional!!)
, Sun, 17 Jun 2001 05:15:59
, Fri, 15 Jun 2001 15:05:10, Sun, 17 Jun 2001 05:20:01
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